California State University, Sacramento                                                                                           Spring 2005

 

SOC 133: Global Perspectives on Sport

Section 1, MWF 9-9:50

Lassen 3005

Professor Todd A. Migliaccio

Office: Amador 451D

Office Hours: MW 10-11, W 12-1, or by appointment

Phone: 916-278-7573

tmigliac@csus.edu

Website: http://online.csus.edu

 

 

Course Goal:            This course examines sport in a global context, focusing on the dynamic nature of sports in response to changes in society.  We will address the effect sport has on both the society and the individual, from socialization to nationalism as expressed through sport.  We will examine the perspectives of both participants (children, amateurs, professionals) and spectators (parents, fans, hooligans) at all levels of involvement, from community to international competition. Cross-cultural differences and similarities in the relationship between sport and other elements of society will be the primary focus of the course. We will examine sport as a reflection of culture, and as it is reflected within culture. The course will use a combination of lectures, discussions, and films to accomplish objectives.  Students will be asked to examine issues from multiple perspectives and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various arguments. Attendance and participation in class discussions is, therefore, required. 

 

Learning outcomes:

Students will:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the political, social, and educational institutions of societies around the globe, and the relationships between these institutions and sport in diverse societies.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity that exists in human societies, and how that diversity is strengthened by, threatened by, and/or expressed through sport.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of how women, ethnic and religious minority groups, different social classes, gays and lesbians, and persons with disabilities all are impacted by sport, and make contributions to society through their sporting participation.

 

Required Texts:

There is one required reader available at Village Copy and Print, corner of Howe and Fair Oaks, behind Safeway. Just tell them my name and the course number.

 

Policies:

 

The due dates for each of the papers are stated in the syllabus.  No late papers will be accepted.  The paper guidelines are on the web, as well as in a handout given at the beginning of class.  As well, a brief statement in class about what is expected will be given.  The due dates for each assignment are listed in the course calendar at the end of the syllabus.  While I will attempt to offer reminders to impending due dates, it is ultimately your responsibility to insure that all papers are ready to be turned in by the expected due date. 

 

Throughout the course, each student will be allotted four extensions for the papers/assignments.  Each extension is worth one class day (ex. If the paper is due on Monday, and you turn it in on Wednesday, that is one extension).  You do not need permission from the professor.  You may use these extensions whenever you want, subject to the rules given below:

 

1) You get four extensions.  Don’t ask me for more- you will not get them.  Hence, you should use extensions wisely when you really need them, such as sickness or an athletic event.

 

2) You may use a maximum of two extensions on any one paper; by using two on one paper, you can turn the paper in two classes late.  A journal entry is considered one paper.  While two are due at one time, if you turn them both in a day late, that will be two extensions used.

 

3) You can use one on any assignment (including reading assignments) given in the class, meaning the assignment can be turned in one class period later. Any assignment turned in later, or if you have used all of your extensions, will not be accepted.

 

4) Any paper that is submitted later than two classes after it is due (regardless of your extension situation), or is turned in late after you have used all of your extensions will be penalized two full grades.

 

5) Any assignments submitted after one class period (regardless of extension situation), or after you have used all of your extensions, the assignment will not be accepted.

 

6) No extension can be used for posting assignments, presentations or group presentations. 

 

All papers must be typed and stapled and not placed in any covers, folders or any other such contraption.  A title page is expected, which will contain the following information: Title of the paper, your name, and the name of the class (Sociology 126 for those of you not paying attention). Thank you.

 

Use of WebCT:  While there are times when the site will be down, this is not an excuse for a missed assignment or late paper.  The material will be up with sufficient time to copy it before it comes due.  Ultimately it is your responsibility to either obtain it, or let me know of any problems you are having with it.  Most problems are related to the computer department, so contact the help desk.  If they are unable/unwilling to help you let me know, and I will attempt to correct any problems, but on occasion they are not my fault (I know, that is hard to imagine, but it is true).

 

If you are a student who has a disability that may necessitate accommodations being made in the classroom, please contact SSD, (916) 278-6955.

 

Turn off all pagers and cell phones before entering class.  I accept the right to answer any that ring (and make up any wild stories about you to the person who has called).

 

Finally, cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated.  If you are caught engaging in either of these activities, you will receive an F.

 

Online Component:

 

The class is located on the WebCT campus server.  Accessing this site requires a login and password, which are the following: Login: your saclink id; Password: Your saclink password (if you do not have one, you can obtain one online).  You will be able to access the outlines for the course, any overheads used in class, any material that was handed out, a glossary of terms (if there is one not listed that you can not locate elsewhere, please let me know so I can include it), all of the assignments, as well as the posting questions and syllabus.  You will also be able to locate your grade on-line if you desire.

POSTINGS:  On the last day of class of a given week, I will be putting up posting questions/assignments on-line.  I will attempt to let you know that Thursday in class, but ultimately it is your responsibility to check.  As for the postings, they will be questions that you will be required to answer that engage the ideas in the class, the readings and possibly current events.  Beyond responding to the question itself, you are also required to respond to at least two other students’ comments, preferably on a different day than you originally posted.  If you are not talking in class, this is a good place to get participation points by responding in greater detail and more often.  This is to help in the comprehension of the material, ideas and readings from the class, as well as to generate topics of discussion within the classroom.

 

Exams:

 

Four exams will be given over the course of the semester.  Only three of the exams will be counted for the total grade.  Each will consist of short answer questions, and matching, true/false and/or multiple-choice questions and will be worth 15% of your total grade (that is 45% total for those of you who have avoided any math classes up until this point).  Each test will only examine your knowledge from the previous test until the class period just prior to the exam.  The final will not be a comprehensive final.  You will need to bring both blue books and scantrons for all of the exams.

 

Assignments:

Journal:  Students will complete 8 journal entries over the course of the semester (1-2 pages each).  Each of the journal papers will be graded separately, but will be compiled into a total grade for the class, worth 20% of the total course grade. Journal entries are due as listed on the attached course schedule. They should be typed and double-spaced. Students should plan to briefly share at least 1 of these entries with the class (do not read your paper, but explain the content). If you do not do the presentation, you will lose 2 % of your total journal grade.

Each entry should be at least two paragraphs in length and should illustrate that you have given some thought to how the material that you have chosen to analyze relates to the course. These entries can be any of the following:

·         Reactions to newspaper or magazine articles that you read. How did the topic of the article relate to the sociological concepts that we have discussed in class? Please include a copy of the article.

·         Reflections on daily experiences that relate to issues covered in class. This can be a conversation you had, a television show or film, play, or other form of media. How was an issue discussed in class portrayed? What did you think?

While more specific guidelines are located on-line, the following should be noted:  3 of the journal entries should address global issues in some way.  1 should address diversity of experiences in sport (these can go with the global).  1 should show how sport is related to other institutions (these can also go with the global).  You do not really need to explain in the paper how it is related to these, unless it is a stretch.  But do identify in the heading of the journal entry. 

 

Research Paper: This paper will be 4-6 pages in length with references from scholarly journals and books.  The topic must be approved by the instructor.  Topics are open, but must obviously be sport-related. A global focus is a plus. A brief oral presentation (10 mins) of your research paper will be given at the end of the semester. The presentation will be included in the grade of your paper.  Details on the paper and presentation will be handed out later.  The Research Paper will be worth 20% of your total grade.

 

Group Exercises and Postings: You will be in groups of 3-4 for the entire semester.  You will most often be reviewing the articles in the class.  You will be asked to summarize each article and then develop at least two questions relating to the article.  One must be asked to develop further information and ideas.  These questions will then be given to another group on Monday, who will attempt to answer the questions and report back on Friday.  One group for each reading, which means multiple groups may go each week.

                There will also be, periodically throughout the semester, postings that you will be required to respond to over the course of a week.  You will be expected to respond to my initial question and then to two other comments, for a total of three for each posting assignment.  The group exercises and postings will be worth 10% of your total grade.

 

Group Presentation: In groups of 2 (perhaps one group of 3), students will present a topic during the semester. The presentation should be approx. 15-20 minutes, and should include visual aids. Students will select their own partner.  Any topic must be in connection with the course and must be approved by the instructor or it will not be counted.  It will be worth 10% of your total grade.

 

Grading:                                                         Percentages

3 Exams: 15% each                                                    45%

Group exercises:                                                       10%

Research Paper:                                                             20%

Journal entries:                                                           15%

Group presentation                                                   10%

                                                Total:                            100%

 

Grading Scale:

A   91.5-100%

A-  89.5-91.4%

B+ 87.5-89.4%

B   81.5-87.4%

B-  79.5-81.4%

C+ 77.5-79.4%

C   71.5-77.4%

C-  69.5-71.4%

D+ 67.5-69.4%

D   61.5-67.4%

D-  59.5-61.4%

F    <59.5%

 

 

Course Outline:

DATE

TOPIC

ASSIGNED READINGS

Week 1:

1/24-1/28

Defining Sport and Pre-modern Sport

Horton

Week 2:

1/31-2/2

Theoretical perspectives on sport

 

Mason

Week 3:

2/7-2/11

Nationalism and national identity

2 journal entries due on 2/11

Both Bairner articles

Week 4:

2/14-2/18

Nationalism and national identity

Exam #1-Friday, 2/18

Klein

Week 5:

2/21-2/25

Socialization and sport

Youth Sport: Issues and controversies

Eitzen; Messner; Adler & Adler

Week 6:

2/28-3/4

Disability and Sport

O’Connor; Stone

Week 7:

3/7-3/11

Sexuality and Sport

2 journal entries due on 3/9

Young; Stevenson

Week 8:

3/14-3/18

Exam #2- Friday 3/18

Caste, class and sport

Sugden; Robidoux

3/20-3/26

SPRING BREAK

ENJOY

Week 9:

3/28-4/1

 

Sport: Spanning the Gendered Globe

Hartmann-Tews

Week 10:

4/4-4/8

Sport: Spanning the Gendered Globe

2 journal entries due 4/4

NO CLASS ON 4/8

Hargreaves

Week 11:

4/11-4/15

Global experiences of race/ethnicity/nationality in sport

Booth; Jarvie; Kusz

Week 12:

4/18-4/22

Global politics in sport

Exam #3-Friday, 4/22

Klein; MLB plans first academy; Sack; Riordan

Week 13:

4/25-4/29

The relationship between media and sport

Rivenburgh; Messner; Young

Week 14:

5/2-5/6

Cross-cultural studies of alcohol and substance use in sport

2 journal entries due on 5/6

Cheers!; Poor sports…; Doping; Positive Deviance

Week 15:

5/9-5/13

Presentations of research papers

RESEARCH PAPERS DUE ON 5/9

Exam #4

Final Exam

Friday, 5/20

8:00a-10:00a